The present invention relates to a process for separating cellulose flocks from their covers in sanitary articles of cellulose. Such flock accumulate as waste during the production of, in particular, panty-diapers, sanitary towels, sick-bed undersheets with covers, such as plastics sheets, tissue, adhesive tapes, rubber bands or the like. The cellulose sanitary articles are delivered into the effective range of entrainers rotating in a housing. The cellulose flock are then released from the entrainers and the flocks released are extracted from the housing separately from the covers which are removed from the effective range of the rotating entrainers. In addition, the invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out this process comprising delivery means for delivering the cellulose sanitary articles into the effective range of the rotating entrainers and removal means for removing and preferably extracting the cellulose flocks released from the housing.
It is known that wood as a raw material is becoming increasingly more scarce so that the products therefrom are becoming increasingly more expensive. One of these products is highly processed cellulose in the form of cellulose flocks of the type required for the production of absorption pads in cellulose-based sanitary articles. The same also applies to plastic sheeting and nonwovens because their chemical raw materials are also subject to regular price increases.
Since a considerable amount of waste accumulates in the production of cellulose-based sanitary articles, it is extremely important for the reasons explained above to recover the raw materials from this waste, which inevitably accumulates in the production of cellulose sanitary articles, to enable raw materials to be saved.